Once a Bella always a Bella
by Lady Neelahn
Summary: Every Bella left at some point. Each has their own reason to leave. But they always come back to their sisters. Or don't they?
1. Chloe Beale

A Bella scarf. A yellow cup. And a phone.

That was all what she left behind for her sisters to find.

Beca was the first one to notice that Chloe was gone. And she didn't understand how or why. But the items the redhead had left behind said enough. She was gone and wouldn't come back. At least not anytime soon.

Nobody understood why Chloe had left. She didn't left a note. She didn't talk to anyone about her feelings.

Had she been unhappy? Nobody knew. If you asked the Bella's, they would say that Chloe was her usually bubbly self. They hadn't noticing anything weird of out of place with the redhead.

The day before she so suddenly left, they had had a movie night. They had talked and laughed. They had drank and eaten. It had been an ordinary day in the Bella's house.

They next day the contrast couldn't be bigger. After Beca found out her beloved redhead was gone, she first called Aubrey. The blonde was beyond shock and didn't know anything more then Beca. After she had ended the call, she texted the rest of the Bella's. But nobody knew why or how the redhead had choose to leave.

In the beginning it was hard to live without Chloe in the house. They all missed her presence. They missed her laugh, her caring nature. Her reasurrance that everything would be okay. But eventually they learned to cope with it. They never forgot her, but they respected her decision to leave them. That didn't mean they were okay with it though. They didn't always agreed with each others life choices. But they respected the choices each and every one of them made.

After they all graduated and left the Bella's house, Beca had taken the three items with her. Where ever life brought her, she always took those three items with her.

Years went by without hearing anything from the redhead. But they all had to go on with their lives. But it didn't mean that her friends didn't think about her. On the contrary, they kept her memory alive at every Bella meeting. On her birthday they usually came together to toast on their friend, and celebrated that she was a year older. Because Chloe was a Bella. And none of them ever thought that she was dead. They all believed that she just took off because she needed time for herself.

And when the day came that she would return, they would celebrate it big. Because "Once a Bella always a Bella" was their catchphrase. Because they were sisters. And being a Bella was something that was for life.

So they get on with their lives. Some of them had married. Some of them had kids. They all joined the workforce but they always kept close with each other. At least twice a month there was a Bella meeting. Every time hosted by one of them. Some of them lived close to each other. And others moved away. But with every important celebration they would always be together. No matter how busy their schedules were. Because that was were sisters were for. They supported each other when they needed.

It has been ten years since Chloe had left. And today was a special celebration. They celebrated Beca's first Grammy Award. Beca had invited them all to the show. And naturally they all had come. When she had won they were all so proud of her.

For the after party Beca had hired a club. They first would have a celebratory dinner and then they would dance all night. It was just a Bella only party. They all needed it to be just in their own little world. Beca knew she couldn't have done it without their support. She had a rough life after college. But the Bella's had helped her to stay on the right track. And tonights party was to thank them for everything they had done for her.

They were sitting and talking when Fat Amy's eyes suddenly went wide. Unable to speak she just pointed. When Beca turned around she was speechless. There was the woman she hadn't seen in ten years. She still had those striking blue eyes. Her red hair was shorter than it had been in college. She looked older, but she was still as beautiful as she had been in college.

"Chloe" was all that Beca could say.


	2. Jessica Smith

It had been five years since Jessica left. She and her boyfriend Mark had left to start their lives together in a different state.

In the beginning the blonde kept in touch with her fellow Bella's. She would call at least once a week. And she called Ashley at least four times a week.

But as time went by, her calls weren't as much as before anymore. The last thing they heard from her was that she would start her new job as a pediatrician. It was a job that fitted her perfectly. She was always gentle and caring. And she was great with kids.

The Bella's were happy for her that she had gotten the job she dreamed of. But they missed her. Their group wasn't the same without her. After she had left they all had tried to keep in touch with her. And she with them.

But then life got in the way. They were all at a point that they settled down. They got partners and babies. And of course their jobs. They all got on with their lives but they often thought about her.

How could they forget about the Bella who could sing the highest of all of them? They couldn't and didn't want to. Even if she wasn't around, she was as much a part of their lives as every other Bella.

They were all convinced she would come back when the time was right. And they didn't worry about her. After all she was one of the most responsible Bella's.

The only one who still had a hard time dealing with her leaving was Ashley. She and Jessica always had been close. And when the blonde left, Ashley kept living in the house they once shared. It had been five years but she still wasn't over her best friend. They had a special bond and the Bella's always had thought the two of them would end up together. But fate had other plans for them.

So the blonde had left, while Ashley had stayed. Despite that she missed her best friend, she enjoyed her life to the fullest.

She was a teacher and loved her job. And she babysat the kids of the Bella's regularly. Almost every Friday she would collected the kids and brought them over to her house. She played with them, helped them with their homework. She made dinner for them and watched over them till their parents would come and pick them up.

One day she hoped to do the same for her own kids. But for now she was content with the life she lived. She had her job and her friends. She had everything she needed. Except for her best friend. That would change soon, but she didn't know that.

It was a Saturday night, and the Bella's were at her house for their weekly meeting. Most of the kids were watching a movie. And the adults were talking and drinking. It was just a typical Saturday night. But that was about to change.

They were just relaxing when the doorbell rang. They looked at each other in surprise. They didn't expect anyone. All the Bella's who were in the area where here tonight. So Ashley got up to open the door.

"Oh my God! Is this a joke?" was all what the Bella's could hear in the living room.

And then there was silence. But not the kind of good silence. So they got up to see what was going on.

They stood behind Ashley and were as surprised as she had been.

At the other side of the door stood a very pregnant Jessica. Next to her two little kids. They had the same blonde hair as Jessica and there was no doubt that these were her kids.

Nobody said a word. Ashley and Jessica looked in each others eyes. It looked like they had their own conversation. A conversation without words. Like they always had done.

Ashley was the first one to speak.

"Hey beautiful" she said and then hugged her friend tightly.

"Are you coming in?" Fat Amy asked.

The blonde nodded and pushed her kids into the house.

"So are you going to introduce your kids to us" Chloe was the next one to speak.

"This is my son Ashlyn, and this is my daughter Jessley" was all that Jessica said.

Upon hearing the kids' names they were all speechless. This was going to be an interesting evening.


	3. Ashley Jones

The weirdest disappearing was Ashley's. One moment she was in the Bella's house. The next moment she announced that she was going to the store. And that was the last thing they ever heard of her.

She didn't call anyone. She never picked up her phone when they called her. She didn't react to texts. Not in the Bella's groupchat. Not the private texts Jess sent her.

Of course, they were worried. It wasn't Ashley's style to leave without a word. Or without taking any of her belongings with her.

She had just left with her coat and her purse. Nothing indicated that she wouldn't come back. They had checked her stuff to see if they could find a clue. But nothing. Everything was still there. The only thing what seemed to be missing was a picture of her and Jess together. Other than that all her things were still there.

They had reported her missing. They had made flyers with her picture. But nobody had seen her. They even had gone to the store and asked if they could look at their surveillance footage. But she wasn't on them. She hadn't gone to the store.

They had contacted her parents. And they didn't know anything. Her parents had asked for her phone bill to see if she had received calls from a strange number. She hadn't. Ashley Jones had vanished without a trace.

It had been three years since they last heard or seen her. As usual they came together on te anniversary of the day she went missing. It was a difficult day for them because they still believed something bad had happened to her.

It wasn't just the fact that she was missing. But the way it happened. And that constant wondering if she was alright. If there was something about that day they could have prevented she went missing.

After all these years each and everyone of them felt guilty that they never offered to go with her. Beca and Chloe still felt that they had failed as captains. That they weren't able to protect her. Yes, she had been an adult at the time, but they were the captains of the Bella's. They were responsible for their team. Although no one had blamed them for what happened, they blamed theirselves.

So today they were all together in Jessica's house remembering Ashley. Jessica would recall how close they had been. They remembered how she would beatboxing for the Bella's before Lilly had done it. How funny she was. The way she would always make them smile with her remarks. Or how she could get lost in the music when they had a party.

And of course they talked about that fatal day. How all of this could have happened. They still couldn't understand it. Three years without a sign of her. But they were all convinced she was still alive. The thought of Ashley being dead was something they refused to think about.

The night had come to an end and they were at the point of leaving when Aubrey's phone rang.

"Aubrey Posen speaking" she answered her phone.

"I believe I have something that belongs to you" the voice at the other side of the line said.

Aubrey who didn't recognize the voice so she put her phone on speaker.

"If you want it back. Go to Barden Park. Then you will find what you were looking for" the voice said before hanging up.

Nobody had recognized the voice. But the Bella's wouldn't be Bella's if they didn't love a bit of adventure. And they were curious. Because Aubrey didn't recall missing something.

They put on their coats and went on their way to Barden Park. They walked through the park together. It was already dark and they used the flashlights on their phones to look around them. It was Emily who discovered first something that was out of place.

"Guys, I think I see something there" she said while pointing at one of the benches.

"Are you sure Legacy?" Fat Amy asked her.

"Yes, I'm sure" the youngest Bella said.

They walked to the bench and shone their lights for a better view. They were shocked when they realised what they saw.

On the bench lay an unconcious Ashley. A very thin Ashley. Covered in blood and bruises on her face.


	4. Beca Mitchell

The day that Beca Mitchell left her beloved Bella's didn't surprise any of them. After all it wasn't the first time she had left them. It was her way to cope with difficulties life threw at her.

The constant battle with her father about her career choice and the intense fights with Aubrey about their set lists were to much for her. The little DJ who didn't handle emotions very well just left.

The Bella's didn't worry much about it. They thought she needed time for herself and that she would come back soon.

The same thing had happened in her freshman year. And after a month she had come to her senses and came back. But this time it was different. She didn't came back to them.

After thee months they realised they wouldn't see her anytime soon. And that was a difficult time for them. Despite her constant fights with Aubrey, she contributed a lot to their group of misfits.

They were worried about her, but they also knew she would make it on her own. Their little DJ was stubborn, but determined. She knew what she wanted and how to achieve it.

Sure she was emotional dead and independent. But they had learned to know the real Beca Mitchell. They knew she had a big heart. So they didn't take it personal that she had left them. They knew they would hear from her sooner or later.

And they did. But not in the way they had expected. They had expected her to come back home, but she didn't.

But how did they knew she was alright?

A year after she had left them there was a new upcoming artist on the radio. And that artist was a mystery. Nobody knew who she was. She didn't give interviews. They weren't any photos of her. Nobody knew her real name. She was only known as DJ Bella Titanium.

And that was how they knew it was her. And the mash ups DJ Bella Titanium made were just her style.

The first time one of her songs was on the radio, the Bella's had been together. As soon they heard the song, Chloe had nudged Aubrey. They turned the volume of the radio up.

"It's her" Chloe had said.

And they all agreed with her. They followed her career without contacting her. They figured she would reach out to them when she was ready. And Beca did that on her own way.

Because nobody knew who she was, she never showed up when she was nominated for an award. But over the years she had sent each Bella an invitation to collect it for her.

It was her way of telling them she didn't forget about them. And they all had accept the invitations to do so. With every invitation came a speech why she wasn't able to collect her award in person.

After twelve years of Beca being gone they had received a invitation as a group to attend the Grammy Awards. She had asked them to perform her song.

And when they gave a speech as a group Beca made herself known to the public. And she did it in a spectacular way. When they performed her award winning song she joined them on stage. They were surprised for a second but they kept performing.

They weren't surprised that she had waited twelve years to come back to them. Because the twelve years stood for each Bella that had been their group during college.

After their performance Beca gave a speech of her own. She thanked her fans but gave the credit of her succes to her fellow Bella's. It was her way of apologizing and telling them she never forgot about them.

And that moment they knew they had their beloved DJ back in their lives.


	5. Lilly Onakuramara

Nobody knew exactly when Lilly disappeared. The Asian girl always appeared and disappeared when nobody expected it.

So nobody could exactly tell when it was the last time that they had seen her. She had always been quiet and therefore she was invisible most of the time.

They only noticed that she was missing during practise. Beca wanted to ask her something about the set. But she wasn't there. And that was strange because she always showed up at practise.

Beca had asked the other girls if they had seen her. But nobody had seen her. And they couldn't tell when they had seen her last her. It could have been a day. But it could have been longer than a day.

Nobody knew what she did outside the Bella's. Or who she hung out with. The only thing they knew was that she was a member of the Korean club.

So Beca went to her former room mate Kimmy Jin. But Kimmy Jin couldn't help her. Lilly hadn't show up at the Korean club in a while. Or actually she was kicked out of the club due to a mysterious fire.

They accused her of setting the clubhouse on fire after an argument. Although nobody had proof she actually did it.

So the Bella's hadn't a clue where they should look for her. They didn't know if she was gone for a long time or if she would come back soon.

But she didn't came back in the following weeks. They didn't have another choice to search her room. It scared them because they didn't know what they could expect to find in her room. But beside her collection of knives and matchsticks they didn't found anything weird.

Ashley took over Lilly's beatboxing parts in their set. Because after a month it was clear for them that Lilly wouldn't come back anytime soon.

A year had passed and they still hadn't heard anything from her. During the year they had contact with the Korean club. But nobody there had heard from her.

Of course everybody speculated what could have happened. But they were wild stories. The only story that came back regularly was that she joined some secret cult. And everybody who knew Lilly thought that this could be true. But nobody knew for sure.

It could be something entirely different. After all it was Lilly they were talking about. She could be in Japan to train to become a samurai. Or in a foreign country in a jail. Or maybe she really had found a way to travel through time. Who knew? Only time would tell.

The only thing they knew was that Lilly was perfectly capable to look after herself. They weren't worried about her. She maybe was quiet and strange, but she wasn't scared of anyone or anything. They knew she would come back to them sooner or later.

Nobody was surprised when Lilly showed up after one of their performances to congratulate them. She just stood there like nothing had happened. Like she hadn't been gone for almost two years.


	6. Emily Junk

That Emily left didn't surprise them. The youngest Bella had problems to fit in their group. She wanted to be seen as a Bella and not as a Legacy.

The youngest member of the group was sweet and a little naive. She wasn't the smartest of their group. And sometimes she didn't get their jokes. The reason for that could be because she was so young.

She adored Beca and Chloe. In Jessica and Ashley she found women she could go to for advice. Aubrey and Lilly scared the hell out of her. She would go to Stacie or Cynthia Rose when she needed advice about love.

But her biggest problem was Fat Amy. The big Australian woman took every opportunity to point out how dumb she was. And that killed her. She always was a little insecure, but the blonde girl's words hurt her.

But what her hurt the most was that Chloe blamed her for their loss at the riff off against DSM. Okay, she had fucked up, but the redhead was unnecessary harsh towards her.

And then there was the Convention performance were things didn't end well. She hadn't done anything wrong, but Fat Amy still found a way to blame her.

That was to much for her to take in. She was the youngest but it didn't mean that they could blame her for everything that went wrong. But she was to scared to stand up for herself.

After the bus ride home she had locked herself in her room. She wrote a new song and finished "Flashlight". It didn't made her feel better.

She stayed in her room and didn't come down for dinner that night. She lay on her bed and cried herself to sleep. And that was something that happened more often lately.

She had wanted to be a Bella so bad. Her mom always had made sound that being one was the best thing that could happen to her. But she didn't feel it. She loved the girls but she didn't like the feeling they gave her. They made her feel like she was a loser. They made her feel like she didn't belong to them.

The next morning she still didn't feel better. So she felt that she had to go. The Bella's were probably better off without her anyway.

She waited until they all had left the house. Then she grabbed her bag and filled it with her clothes. She packed her toiletries and her songbook and left. She didn't leave a note or something, she just left without looking back.

She didn't know were to go. She couldn't go back home. And she couldn't go to the Trebles house and live with Benji. So she left Barden. She bought a bus ticket for the first bus that would leave. Apparently that was a bus with a place called Sunshine Village as destination. She didn't care. She just wanted to leave Barden behind.

She only had left for about four hours when she received the first texts. First from Beca and then in the group chat. She ignored them. She made a mental note to herself to change her number when she had the chance.

And then they started to call her. She didn't want to talk to anyone so she turned her phone off. Fuck them she thought.

She stayed in Sunshine Village for a while. She loved the little town. And she loved the fact that nobody knew her there. But it wasn't all sunshine. She appreciate the quietness but she missed the girls. And she knew she needed to go back. She couldn't run away for the rest of her life. She was only eighteen years old. And she needed to finish her study. But it was too soon to go back yet. She needed more time alone.

She was gone for four and a half months when she decided that she needed to go back. But she worried if the girls wanted her back.

She turned on her phone for the first time in months. She didn't changed her number, she just kept her phone shut off. Apparently she was missed. She had more than two hundred unread texts and more than than four hundred missed calls. She didn't read any of the received texts. She only sent Beca a message asking if she would be welcome if she came back.

The response came immediately. She would be welcome. But Beca wanted to know if she was alright and were she was. She ignored the questions and only let Beca know she would be coming back one of these days. And then she shut off her phone again. Not bothering to await Beca's answer.

She waited a few days before heading back. Nervously she walked up to the Bella's house. And before she knew it the door was opened by a very excited Chloe.

"Legacy you're back!" the redhead screamed excited.


	7. Cynthia Rose Adams

Cynthia Rose didn't leave the Bella's because she wanted. She did it because she didn't have a choice.

The black woman loved her Bella's more than everything. She felt at home with them. And for the first time in her life she felt accepted for who she was.

The girls didn't care she was gay. They didn't care she placed bets on almost everything and anybody that had something to do with the Bella's. They let her be who she was. And they let her do what she loved most. Rapping. Therefore they included a rapping part in every set they did.

She was friends with all of her fellow Bella's. She especially had a close bond with Fat Amy and Stacie. It didn't help her that she liked the latter more than just friends. She didn't hide that fact though. But nobody seemed to care about that. Not even Stacie herself was bothered by it.

One of the things she loved most about living in the Bella's house was the constant company. Cynthia Rose loved being around people. The fact that she didn't have a nice childhood had probably something to do with it.

That's why it broke her heart that she had to leave them all behind. And she had to do it in secret. Since she couldn't tell them that she was going, she planned her leaving in the deepest secret.

She had carefully packed her belongings and would leave that night when everybody was asleep. That way she didn't have to say goodbye. She hated saying goodbye.

The evening before she would leave she acted like nothing was wrong. She participated in the evenings activities. She did take the opportunity to observe her friends for the last time. She wanted to remember everyone of them as they were. She didn't know when she would see them again. But she promised herself that she would go back to them when she could.

That night she waited until her room mate was asleep. Luckily for her Denise was a deep sleeper. When she was sure that the rest of the girls were asleep to she left the house. She looked back one time and then left for good.

It has been six and a half years since she last seen any of the Bella's. And she missed them dearly. But it was for the best that she had left them. In the past years she had made all the wrong things she done right. She made a career and was well off. But she was lonely. She didn't have anyone to celebrate with.

It was time for her to come home. And the only place she ever called home was where her girls were. She realised that they all had moved out of the Bella's house. But she knew exactly where each of them lived. Because in all those years she had never forgot about them. When she had the chance she had each of their names tattood on her left arm.

It was time to surprise them. She had rented a house big enough for all of them. She had sent out a mysterious invitation to all of them. Of course, she didn't let them know she was behind it. And knowing her girls she knew they couldn't resist a mysterious invite. And she was right.

The day she planned their reunion she had hid in the house. She would wait till all of them were inside. She would come out when the time was right to give them the surprise of their lives.

The party was in full swing. The girls seemed to enjoy their selves. Catching up with each other. But they all wondered who had set this up. Cynthia Rose who could see them from her hiding spot couldn't contain her excitement any longer.

She walked down the stairs.

"Hey Pitches what's up?" she said.

The surprised look on their faces was worth all the years she had missed.


	8. Patricia Hobart

It wasn't uncommon for Fat Amy to return fourteen hours later after grabbing a smoothie. The Bella's all knew she was with Bumper while she claimed that. But it was uncommon for her to be away for more than twenty four hours.

She knew she was in trouble for not letting anyone know that she wasn't coming back soon. But she had her reasons for not telling anyone. And those reasons hadn't anything to with Bumper, alligators or dingos.

She had some business to take care of. And that's why she was currently at the airport. For the first time in years she used her real name as she booked a flight.

She was in deep trouble and she couldn't confide in anyone. Not her friends, family or Bumper. She hated tha, because in general she was an open book to the ones around her.

She maybe was impulsive and rude sometimes but she was always honest about her feelings. And never afraid to voice her opinions. Now she had to be secretive and that went against everything she stood for.

She did this herself with her big mouth. And now she had to fix it. She didn't know how long she would be gone. She expected to be back in a week. And then things could go back to normal.

Of course things get out of control. After all she was Fat Amy. And that meant things never go as planned. And it started right away when she landed with the guy that was waiting for her.

He wasn't someone you wanted as an enemy. He wasn't friendly. But he was organised and that was why they had chosen him to pick her up.

She tried to be funny like she always did. But this time it didn't work. In fact it only made things worse. He had brought her to an house in the middle of nowhere.

They had took her phone before locking her in a room. It wasn't a bad room. In fact it looked like a pricey hotel suite. With a big comfortable bed. And ensuite bathroom with a double shower and bath tub. A beautiful view. But still she was locked up. Locked up in a golden cage.

Normally Fat Amy was sure about herself and her abilities. But now being far away from her friends, she felt small and insecure. That was a new feeling for her. She sighed when she thought about the mess she had gotten herself in to.

She hoped they would show mercy to her. That she got the chance to fulfil her task. She had to. It was her only way to get out of here. Her only way to see her friends again.

She needed to focus on the task that lay ahead of her. This time she couldn't smart talk het way out of it.

When they told her what she was expected to do, she knew she would fail. Without the help of her friends she couldn't do this. She would try and would do anything to make it work. Anything to get the hell out of this creepy place. She had twenty four hours to complete her task. She did everything she could and she almost succeeded. But in the end she fucked up. And not just fucked up, but majorly fucked up. And now she knew her chance of seeing her friends anytime soon was non existing.

She was a prisoner in a country far away from her friends or family. Oh how she wished she could see her friends again. She would do anything to see them. But all she could do was wait.

She thought she was going to die alone in this room. And no one would know. But somehow she got lucky. After six months there was a new guy who runned the all the dark pony's in town. He seemed to like her and her sense of humour. But he couldn't use her apparently. That's what he told her anyway.

She was scared to death when in the middle of the night some guys came in her room. They wore black masks and she couldn't make out their faces. She tried to fight them but they were stronger than she thought. She felt a stinging pain and then everything went black.

When she finally woke up she lay on the couch in the Bella's house. Her friends scattered around her in the living room looking at her with concerned expressions on their faces.


	9. Stacie Conrad

Stacie Conrad was a lot of things. She was beautiful and smart. A combination that was deathly for most people she met. Nobody expected that a beautiful woman like her could be so smart. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind or give her opinion. She was beautiful, but not stupid.

She was social and caring towards her friends. And she had an incredibly high sex drive. But she was smart enough to not let herself get used by her hook ups.

She always thought things through before diving into an adventure. That's why she couldn't believe she got in the situation she was currently in.

She was thinking how to get out of this situation. Wondering how things could be spiralling out of control so fast.

An hour ago she was having a drink with her catch of the day. And now she was in deep trouble with said catch.

He had been a little strange, but he was charming. Completely different than her normal hook ups. He had taken her out for a drink and something to eat. He really was interested in her. A little bit to interested when she thought about it now.

He had been interested in her friends and family. What she did outside college. How her days looked like. When he asked her if she would be missed all the alarm bells went off in her head. She wanted to end the date but suddenly she didn't feel well. She couldn't remember anything when she woke up.

Now she was sitting in the passenger seat of a car that didn't belong to her or the driver. She didn't know where they were or where they were heading to.

She looked for her phone. But when he noticed he cheerfully told her that he had thrown it away. She didn't know if she believed him.

The guy told her not to worry. He wasn't planning on hurting her or touching her he said. He just wanted to know how long it would take for people to notice she was missing. And what would happen when they found out.

He promised he would take good care of her as long as they were together. For the time being she could only do as what her was told.

She didn't know how long they had been in the car, when he suddenly stopped. He got out and walked over to her side of the car. He unlocked her door. As she stepped out she tried to run. But he was faster than she had thought. He hit her and everything went black.

When she woke up again she found herself on a bed. When her eyes got used to the dark she noticed that the room didn't have windows. Next to the bed were a table and a chair. She got up and walked around the room searching for a light switch. She found it and turned on the light.

True to his words, he didn't do anything to her. He brought her food three times a day. He let her out one time a day so she could freshen up herself. He even provided clean clothes for her. And he brought her magazines and books to kill the time. He didn't try to make a conversation with her, and didn't answer any of her questions.

She didn't know how long she was here. It could be two weeks but it could be longer. She felt lonely and missed her friends. A lot of questions went through her mind.

Would they miss her? Had they done anything to find her? What had she done to deserve this? How would she catch up with her study?

She didn't have any answers on those questions though. All she could do was hope that he would let her go soon. She was bored as hell in this room. She knew the room by heart by now. Every crack in the wall, every scratch in the wooden floor.

She woke up in the middle of nowhere. She couldn't remember how she got here. She shook her head to wake up fully and took a deep breath. It has been so long that she was outside.

Suddenly she felt something in the pocket of her jeans. She couldn't believe it when she found her own phone. That asshole had kept it all the time. She turned it on and saw that the battery was full.

She went through her contacts searching for Beca. She pressed on the call button praying that it still belonged to Beca.

She was never been happier to hear that grumpy voice.

"Beca, it's Stacie. Can you please pick me up?"


	10. Aubrey Posen

"If you're not here to win... get the hell outta Kuwait".

"If at first you don't succeed, pack your bags."

"In the minefield of life, you must be prepared to lose both feet."

As Aubrey closed her eyes, she could clearly hear her fathers words in het head. He had said those things to her since she was a little girl.

And now they hadn't advanced. She felt like a loser. She could better quit the Bella's. Her father was right. And now she was in a fight with the girls too.

Her stress level was at the highest point. She barely made it to the toilet. After she threw up, she cleaned her mouth.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. Her father was right. The girls were right. She was obsessed. And because of her they had failed. They deserved better and the Bella's were better of without her.

She knew what she had to do. She better hurry up before Chloe came back. She packed the last of her bags.

Without leaving a note or looking back, she got in her car and drove off. She didn't know where she was going. She only knew she needed to go as far away as possible from her family and the Bella's.

She wasn't a quitter, but she knew when to stop trying. She clearly wasn't leader material. She had proved that. Beca was a better leader then she was. Hell even Jessica or Ashley would be a better leader than she was. Fat Amy or Lilly would probably even better in leading the Bella's.

She gripped her steering wheel even tighter and she could feel the tears streaming down her face. She had tried. Only the Lord knew how hard she had tried. But she had failed. Failed her father and failed each of the girls. They had worked really hard, but her stubbornness had let them down.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. She didn't paid attention on the road for a second. That one second would change her life completely.

"What the fuck!" was her last though when her car hit the tree.

"Miss, are you alright?" a boy no older then twelve asked her as he shook her violently.

"What?" she asked disorientated.

Her vision was blurry and she couldn't keep her eyes open.

The next time that she opened her eyes, she wasn't in her car anymore. She lay on a bed in a room she didn't recognise. She wasn't in a hospital that much she knew.

She tried to get up, but the pain in her body stopped her from doing that. She looked around her and saw a little boy sitting in a chair next to her.

She tried to speak but her mouth was dry. The little boy gave her a glass of water. He helped her drink as she couldn't do it herself.

She wanted to ask him who he was. Or where she was. But she was so tired. Her eyes felt heavy and she fell back asleep.

This ritual repeated itself in the next few days. But she didn't know that. She didn't know that she was laying in that bed for a couple of months now.

She didn't know six months went by when she finally was able to be awake for more than a few moments. And when she was recovered enough to walk around, she hadn't had any memories of her life.

But somehow she didn't mind that. She felt safe at the place she was right now. The little boy, his name was Henry, was good company.

He told her about how he found her. And what he thought that had happened. But she couldn't remember anything about it. She didn't know she had owned a car. Or what her name was.

Henry had told her her name. Aubrey Posen. At least that was what the name tags on her luggage had said. But the name didn't say her anything. She could easily be named Janet Brown.

The farm she was staying in wasn't big. But Henry and his parents were nice people. They were simple farmers, but they worked hard. They told her she could stay as long as she wanted. So she stayed. She loved working on the farm. She loved the animals and just being outside.

She still didn't remember anything about her past life, but she didn't care. She felt loved were she was now. Henry adored her and she adored him. He was such a sweet boy.

Years passed but she stayed on the farm. And she and Henry remained close despite the age difference between them. She was eleven years older than he was. But that never was a problem.

Henry had grown up to be a handsome twenty two year old man. And he asked her to be his wife. She instantly said yes when he asked her that. They kept their wedding small and simple with only his family as guests.

She was four months pregnant with their first child when a ghost of her past visited her. They had been working on the land when a car stopped. A redheaded woman stepped out of the car.

When she turned around to see who was coming up their property she was met with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Somehow they seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't place them. The woman looked shocked when she looked at her.

"Bree?!" the woman said.


	11. Denise

Denise was one of the most quiet Bella's. But she wasn't less important than the rest of them. Her contribution to the group was equally important as the rest.

She came to Barden to study psychology. She never expected to be accepted to the Bella's. Or to see her ex girlfriend again.

She loved being a Bella. All her life she dreamed to be part of an a capella group. And when she was accepted to the Bella's she couldn't be happier. And the fact that her ex girlfriend was a Bella helped.

She loved competing against other groups. And she had loved the riff off. She had never heard of it, but when she understood what it was, she loved it. It was something she wanted to do back home with her friends.

Being a Bella wasn't easy for her. There was a lot of tension in the group. And sometimes she found her captain a true dictator. She could see the potential of their group but she wished that Aubrey would listen to Beca.

She herself was to shy to speak up. Because of her psychology study, she was good in observing the people around her. She saw how Chloe tried to stand up against Aubrey. She saw that what Beca tried to do would help them. She saw how Ashley and Jessica always would sneak off together. And she saw the glances her ex Cynthia Rose threw in her direction.

She wasn't surprised when a fight broke out. But she also knew it was nee to break the tension. To clear the air between all of their unique personalities. The confession was a good thing. It needed to be done.

And when they sang together in the empty pool they sounded magically. For the first time this year they listened to each other. Their voices lifted each other higher. After their song had ended, Denise knew they could win. The way they sounded now was good enough to beat those damn Treblemakers.

And they had done it. They had won. They were ecstatic. Not only had they won. They were the first all female group to do so. They had showed the world that girls could do anything. The celebration of their winning was epic. They were all so happy.

Denise was on her way to Chloe and Aubrey's dorm. They would come together one time before the end of the semester. She had her headphones on. Totally lost in the music, she didn't heard the car coming. And when she saw the car it was to late.

She wouldn't see her beloved Bella's again.

She was the only Bella that came back to her friends in a casket. Her Bella sisters carried her to her last resting place.


	12. Florencia Fuentes

Florencia Fuentes was far from stupid or dumb. Yeah sometimes she said funny things. And sometimes she didn't get the jokes the other Bella's were making.

It wasn't because she wasn't smart. Actually she was pretty smart. It was because she still needed to learn how American people were.

She came from a small town in Guatemala. She grew up an a normal family. They weren't rich but she got all the love and support she needed. Although her brother tried to sell her for chickens multiple times.

She already lived longer than she expected and she was the first one of her family to go to college. And the first one to go to another country. The difference between her life in Guatemala and her live in Barden couldn't be bigger.

She missed her family back home like crazy. But she was glad that she became a Bella. She was surprised how fast she had felt home in the group. She loved to sing and perform with them.

They really were a sisterhood. And the girls made up for the family she missed. They accepted her for who she was. Even if she sometimes didn't get what they said. But they explained the things patiently to her. And sometimes they made fun of her but it was never in a bad way.

She loved those girls with all her heart and she would never leave them. And yet that is what she did. Not voluntary. She left them because she didn't have another choice.

She came to America on a scholarship. And she had a temporary visa. She had some rules she needed to follow if she wanted to stay here till she graduated.

Now she was willing to risk losing it all. There was only one reason why she would give up everything and the reason were the Bella's. The love she had for those girls were more worth for her than her education. She could always go to a college in Guatemala, but the love of her girls was priceless.

That's why she had to go. The safety of her fellow Bella's came first. She sighed as she put the last things in her suitcase.

She looked back one time when she left the house. She was going to miss them dearly that she knew. But it was better to miss them because she was away than to miss them because one of them ended up dead.

That was eleven years ago. She neve expected that she would miss them so much. Yes, she got on with her life. But there was never a moment that she didn't think about them. She would keep track of them as some of them became famous.

She never expected to see them ever again. And yet she did after eleven years. She was just enjoying a holiday in Spain when she ran into Ashley and Jessica.

She was drinking a cocktail when familiar voices spoke to her.

"Flo?!" two voices said in unison.


	13. Chloe's story

Chloe Beale didn't know exactly why she went away. No scratch that. She knew exactly why she left ten years ago.

Ten years ago she had panicked. She had been alone in the Bella's house. They all had just graduated. Well except for Emily. They had won the world championship of a capella.

They had for about month together left in the house. One month before they all would spread their wings in different parts of the country.

After being a Bella for seven years, Chloe didn't know what to do. She didn't know what she wanted in life. And she didn't know how she would live without the girls.

But she did know that she couldn't say goodbye. The thought of saying goodbye to the girls after all those years made her cry.

Since she was alone in the house and most of her stuff was packed, she took the time to remember everything that happened in the house. She smiled at every sweet memory and cried about every sad memory.

And right then and there she decided something. She didn't want to say goodbye. That would make everything worse. So she stood up. She walked to her room and finished packing her stuff. She only left three items out.

She put her suitcases in her car and walked back in the house. She walked upstairs for the last time. She silently said goodbye to every room before entering her own. She looked for the last time out of the window and took the view in. She turned around and grabbed the three items from her bed.

She walked to the kitchen and placed the three items on the counter. Her Bella scarf, her phone and the yellow cup. This was her way to say goodbye. Her way to let the girls know she wouldn't come back.

She took her house key and left it on the kitchen table. One look around in the kitchen and then she left the house for good. She stepped in her car and drove away.

First she didn't know where she wanted to go. So she just drove. She drove as far away from Barden as she could. She only stopped for gas. And to go to the bathroom and for quick snacks. She drove until she was so tired that she booked a room in a motel.

When she lay on the bed she suddenly asked herself if she had done the right thing. But she also knew she couldn't go back. This was her journey. She realised she needed to make a plan as soon as she woke up. But for now she needed sleep.

When she woke up the next day it already was late. She decided to book the room for another night. She went to the store and bought some food and drinks. After she got everything she needed she headed back to her room. She needed a plan.

She sat on her bed thinking about her options. She couldn't go back to Barden. And she couldn't go to her family. They already were disappointed in her because it took her seven years to graduate.

She couldn't go back so she had only one option. She needed to go forward. That was the only option she had left. Bur what was she going to do? She hadn't exactly much experience in the work force.

Suddenly she knew what to do. She always wanted to travel and this was the perfect moment to start. She had a little bit money left. She could use it to book a flight. She didn't know where she wanted to go. Or how she would get money to live, but those were worries for a later time.

Now that she had decided to travel, she thought about where she wanted to go to. Did she wanted to go backpacking through Europe? Or through New Zealand or Australia? Or did she wanted to go to somewhere more exotic? The possibilities were endless.

She wanted to go to Australia one day. But not now. She had heard so many stories about Australia from Fat Amy. She definitely wanted to go there sometime, but with Fat Amy as tour guide and the rest of the girls as companion. Thinking about them made her sad and that was something she didn't allow herself to do.

This was her adventure. This would be the beginning of her new life. She should be excited. She sighed and thought about her plans. She wanted to experience as much as she could and prefered a place where it was relatively safe for a woman alone to travel. So she chose Europe. After Copenhagen she had liked Europe.

But where on Europe would she start? She thought about it and settled for Italy. Now that she had a destination, it was time to make plans. She didn't need her car in Italy. She would sell it. That gave her some extra money.

She thought about what she wanted to do when in Italy. Playing tourist would be fun. But she couldn't do that forever. She would need a job to support herself. So she needed to look into visa and other stuff she needed to live and work in Italy. She had left her phone behind, but she had brought her laptop with her. She looked up what she needed and did what she had to do. She booked a flight to Rome. She would leave in two days. Now there was no way back.

The first two years she stayed in Italy. She traveled across the country. She found jobs to support herself. She went to museums and made friends. And she actually learned to speak Italian. She wasn't a native speaker but she could hold a decent conversation in the Italian language.

After two years she wanted to go further. So she booked a flight to Spain. Spain was great but it wasn't a country she wanted to stay long. She loved the food there and the people were nice. But she didn't feel at home there. She only spent two months in Spain.

From Spain she went to Portugal. Portugal was a beautiful country but worse than Spain. She didn't like the people or the food. She had seen enough of Portugal. So she left that country after three weeks.

The Greece islands were more her thing. On Rhodes she stayed three years. She worked in restaurants during the tourist season. The rest of the time she lived in a simple house. First alone, but after six months she got into a relationship with a beautiful Greece girl. She adored Sofia and for a long time they were a couple. When they broke up she left Rhodes.

She wanted something new and she left to England. She absolutely loved England. She stayed in London. It was a city were she could do everything she wanted. She had found a job as a nanny for three kids. She loved to take them to the park. She took them to theatres and other cultural things. She dated a few guys and girls but nothing serious came out of it. After two years she left England. She traveled through France, Belgium, Germany, Holland and many other countries.

She had been gone for ten years when she wanted to go back to America. Travelling was great. She had learned so much. But she was still lonely. She still missed the Bella's. She never forgot them. She had kept track of there careers and whereabouts. But it was time to come home. She had learned that Beca had won her first Grammy Award. And that she would celebrate it with the Bella's.

Chloe did her best to find out where the celebration would be. And lucky for her the magazines had published the name and address of the club that Beca had hired.

She booked a flight back to the States. She cleaned herself up and changed her clothes. She left her things in the hotel and took a cab to the club. She looked from a distance and saw all her former friends enter the building.

When they all were inside she walked up to the building. Of course there was security. She needed to pull all her tricks to convince them to let her in. After she showed them a clip of one of their performances they believed her. They escorted her upstairs. She saw her friends eating at the table. Beca sat with her back to her. Fat Amy was the firstone to spot her. Her eyes grew wide and she pointed.

When Beca turned around she was shocked. The only thing she could say was her name. But she didn't care. She was home again.


	14. Jessica's story

******* _ **Flashback *****_

" _Ash, I need to tell you something" Jessica said. She didn't dare to look her friend in the eye._

" _What is it Jess? You can tell me anything."_

" _Mark asked me to move with him to the other side of the country" she said softly._

 _She still didn't dare to look Ashley in the eyes. The brunette looked at her. A flash of hurt in her eyes for a second._

" _What did you answer?"_

" _I didn't. I told him I wanted to talk to you first."_

" _Well, do you love him?"_

" _Not as much as I love y….. Yes, I love him" I said to her._

" _If you really love him than you should go with him " Ashley said to me._

 _And then she turned around and ran out the room. I sighed._

 _ ***** End of flashback *****_

Jessica sighed at the memory. That happened five years ago. That night was the only night she and Ashley had slept together. It was a sort of goodbye for both of them. The next day she had left with her boyfriend.

In the beginning it was fun. A new place. Different people. She had finished her study and finally became a pediatrician. Life looked great for the both of them.

She loved her job. And her boyfriend just opened his own law firm. He became a very successful lawyer. And she was a brilliant doctor. The hospital she worked at was one of the best in the country.

In the beginning she had kept in touch with her friends. And she would call Ashley four times a week. Ashley was her best friend after all. And she couldn't forget the night they made love to each other. It had only been one night. But that night haunted her ever since. She couldn't forget how she had felt in Ashley's embrace.

Mark knew how much she missed her friends. And he really did try to make her feel better. He adored her and was willing to do everything he could to make her happy.

But then life got in the way. Her job asked a lot of her. She didn't have much time to keep in touch with her friends. And ultimately she lost contact with all of them. Even with her best friend. But she never forgot them even if she didn't talk to them. She had surrounded her personal space with pictures of them. And she kept a framed picture of herself and Ashley on het nightstand.

Mark had proposed to her multiple times. But she refused. She loved him but she wasn't ready for such commitment. It just didn't feel good for her.

Then she found out she was pregnant. She couldn't be happier. She always had dreamed of children of her own. She enjoyed every minute of her pregnancy, but she missed her girls by her side. She missed Ashley by her side. She always had imagined that she would celebrate her pregnancy with her girls around her.

When she learned that she would have a son she was slightly disappointed. She secretly wanted a little girl. A girl she could name after her best friend. But Mark was ecstatic that their firstborn would be a boy. A child that would carry his name. But Jessica decided differently.

As soon as their son was born things changed between them. Mark was angry with her because she not only named their son after her best friend, she gave their son her own last name.

These were the first cracks in their relationship. But they both loved their child with all their hearts. Things between them had changed, but they worked hard to fix things. And when their son Ashlyn was a year old, Jessica discovered that she was pregnant again.

This time they expected a little girl. She knew right away she would call her daughter Jessley. Mark had raised an eyebrow when she suggested the name. He never heard that name before, but after repeating the name a few times he liked the sound of it.

Life was busy for her. Taking care of two young kids while she worked. She and Mark made sure they had time for each other. But she wasn't happy with her life. She loved her kids to death but she regretted that she left her old life and friends behind. She regretted leaving Ashley behind. She couldn't help but to think how her life would be if she had followed her heart all those years ago.

And then the fights had started. It began when Mark had read her diaries. He found them on a coincidence. She didn't put them away. At first he didn't want to read them. But he noticed the change in her. She stopped talking about her feelings and he was worried.

He started to read them. And the contents of her diaries shocked him. He had known about the special bond between his girlfriend and her best friend. But he hadn't known how special it really was. He was beyond angry when he learned she had cheated on him the night before they had left. But what shocked him most was when he learned the true meaning of his daughters name.

He had confronted her with the things he had read. And she immediately confessed everything. How much she loved Ashley still after all those years. That she couldn't forget about the night they had shared. Why she had named their children after her best friend and herself.

She had cried. And he did his best to comfort her. He really did love her even if she didn't love him as much. Yes he was the father of her children and for that she would always love him. But she couldn't shake the feeling that those children should've been hers and Ashley's.

She realised she had a big problem. And she went to counselling. And for a moment things between them got better. She talked about her feelings. And they got closer. They even slept again with each other. Which resulted in another pregnancy.

But this time she didn't enjoyed her pregnancy. She was miserable. All she wanted was to go home. Raise her kids around her fellow Bella's. Give birth to her child with Ashley by her side.

And that was exactly what she was going to do. She looked up Ashley on the Internet. She found out she still lived in the house they once shared. When she saw a recent photo of Ashley and the girls she smiled. For the first time in years she really smiled.

She was going home. That night she talked to Mark. She told him how unhappy she was. And that she wanted to go home. He was devastated by the news. Not because they broke up or losing his girlfriend. But the fact he would see his children less. And that he would miss the birth of their third child.

But he loved Jessica so much that he let her go. Her happiness and their childrens happiness was more important to him than everything else. So he did what he could to help her.

He booked flights for them. He arranged a hotel where they could stay. And he helped her with everything else.

He hugged his kids goodbye shortly before they would board. And then he hugged his now ex girlfriend.

"I hope you find your happiness. And that you get your girl" was the last thing he said to her.

When they landed in Atlanta they had gone straight to their hotel. The kids were exhausted and she could use some rest too, after all she was six months pregnant. She had texted Mark to let him know they arrived safely. But for now they needed rest.

They stayed in the hotel for the day playing games with her kids. She told them they would visit their aunts the next day. The children didn't know their aunts except for the photos their mother had showed them.

The next day she took a cab to her old house. She was very nervous when she rang the doorbell.

"Oh my God! Is this a joke?" was Ashley's reaction when she saw her.

The rest of the girls appeared behind Ashley but she didn't registered that. She could only stare at the woman before her. She was still as beautiful as she remembered. And Ashley stared back at her.

After what seemed like an eternity Ashley hugged her tightly.

"Hey beautiful" was all she said to Jessica.

Then Fat Amy asked if she was going to get in the house. She nodded and pushed her kids in the house.

Chloe was the next one to speak and asked her about her childrens names. She never had seen the girls so shocked when she told them their names.

But she didn't care. She was home again. And for the first time in five years she felt truly happy. She felt whole again.


	15. Ashley's story

She was just going to the store quickly. Her best friend Jessica didn't feel well. So she wanted to pick up some of her favourite chocolate. Chocolate always made Jess feel better.

She put on her coat and grabbed her purse. And the picture of her and Jess. She always took that photo with her when she left the house. Even if she did a quick run to the store. She started to do that in their freshman year. She didn't know why though.

She told the girls she would be back soon and left the house. It was a beautiful night and the store wasn't far away. She decided to walk. She was almost at the store when she felt pain. And then everything went black.

When she woke up several hours later, she wasn't in the Bella's house. She was in a house she didn't recognise. She lay on a strange bed. She was confused.

What the hell happened?

She tried to get up. But the world was spinning around her. She lay down again and fel asleep. The next time she woke up it was already day. The sun shone through the window. And next to her sat an old man. He tenderly caressed her face. His touching was what woke her up.

"Who are you? And why am I here? I need to call Jess" were the first things she said.

The old man looked at her with a smile.

"Good morning sweetheart" he said to her.

"Excuse me? Who are you? And why am I?" she repeated her earlier questions.

"You are home of course. And I am your husband" the man said.

She thought that shewas going crazy. Home? Husband? Something wasn't right. As far as she knew she lived in the Bella's house. And she was as sure as hell that she wasn't married to anyone.

She looked at the man full of questions.

"You fell yesterday darling" he said softly.

This wasn't really happening she hoped. Please let it be a joke.

The man stood up and left her alone. After a few minutes he came back with some tea and toast.

"Here eat your breakfast. It will make you feel better" he said.

He left the tray on her nightstand and left again.

She didn't want breakfast. She needed to go to the bathroom and get the hell out of here. She looked in the mirror and saw a bruise at the corner of her left eye.

After three days she realised she would never get out of here anytime soon. The man was old but extremely strong. She had tried to escape but he was always around to prevent it. She noticed that all the doors were locked and that every window had bars.

She soon learned that the man thought that she was his wife of forty years. He kept calling her Ethel. And every day he showed her pictures of their live together in the hope she would get her memory back.

Although there was a slight resemblance between her and Ethel, she didn't look at all like the woman. But the man wouldn't listen to her.

Ashleworth was a patient girl. But after God knows how long she snapped. She felt sorry for the man, but she wanted to go home. She wanted to see the Bella's. She wanted to sleep in her own bed next to Jess. She even wanted Aubrey to yell at her. Everything was better than stay with a crazy old man.

She was going crazy here. Locked up in a house against her will with an old man who tried to help her remember things that took place long before she was even born.

She had tried to explain that she wasn't his beloved wife. She had told him that she was Ashley Jones. A nineteen year old student from Barden University. But he wouldn't listen.

She wished someone would visit here and noticed that things weren't right. But for some reason the man never got visitors.

Sometimes he seemed to realise that she wasn't his wife. And when those moments happened he got aggressive. He would yell at her and hurt her.

She was positive that he sometimes drugged her. Because sometimes she didn't had memories for days. As she was drugged he would go to the store she thought. There was always enough food but she never saw him leave or someone delivering groceries.

After a year and a half she broke. She couldn't handle it anymore. She was positive she wouldn't see her friends anymore. She thought she would die in this house alone with this old man.

So she played along with his games. She had heard his stories so many times that she knew what he wanted to hear. The man was so happy that his wife had het memory back, that he brought her gifts everytime he got out.

And then things changed. One morning she woke up after he had drugged her again. But this time she wasn't in the room she had been for the past two years. Apparently he had brought her to his own bedroom. And the reason she woke up was horrible.

He was convinced that it was their wedding night. That she was his new bride. He had dressed her in a white laced nightgown. He told her that it was time to consume their marriage. She tried to fight him off but for an old man he was surprisingly strong. He touched her body and started to kiss her. She screamed when he entered her.

After that day Ashley was changed for good. She didn't have the strength to fight anymore. She simply gave up. She didn't think of her friends anymore. She only thought about Jess.

She became desperate and was man seemed to notice the change in her behaviour. She stopped talking. She stopped eating. She just stopped living. He forced her to eat but she didn't care anymore. Her life was over. He had won.

He started to hit her when she refused to eat. But she simply didn't react anymore. She was a shell of the person she used to be. He had locked her in her room and she stayed their all day. Lying in bed. Staring at the picture of her and Jess. It was the only connection to her old life. The only thing he had let her keep her.

She became thinner and thinner. She only ate when he fed her. And the only thing she ask for is to let her go. She begged him to let her go. She rather be death than to stay here any longer. It only made him angrier with her.

She showed him the picture of her and Jess. And told him she wanted to go back to her. That she wanted to go back home.

Maybe the man finally realised that she wasn't his wife. He brought her her own clothes. The clothes she had wore three years ago. She dressed herself and then she felt a stinging pain.

When she woke up she was in a hospital. Surrounded by her beloved Bella's.


	16. Beca's story

Beca Mitchell didn't do emotions. From a young age she had learned that people hurt you. Her father had hurt her by leaving. And later her mother had hurt her too.

The few friends she had growing up had hurt her too. So she shut everybody out. It was easier that way. And she wouldn't get hurt anymore.

And when people came too close she ran. That way she didn't had to deal with feelings. Not someone else's feelings, not her own feelings. Running away was easier than talking about what was bothering her.

She had ran away in her freshman year. Something back then had made her come back. She realised that no matter what she cared about those girls. Somehow they had become her friends. Even if she didn't know most of them. Heck, from some of them she didn't even know who they were. But nevertheless they were her friends.

But now years later she ran away again. And this time she didn't came back. She had finished college what her father had wanted. She came to every goddamn single Bella bonding what Aubrey and Chloe had wanted.

But everybody had an opinion about how she needed to live her life. She had enough of it. She couldn't handle the constant nagging from the people around her. Sure, they had the best intentions with her. But it was her goddamn live. She was a fucking adult. She could perfectly decide how to live her life.

People seem to forget that. They kept bothering her. So she did what she did best. She ran away and left everyone behind. She didn't left a note or anything. She just packed her bag and left.

She decided it was time for her to make her dream come true. So she headed to Los Angeles. That was the place she wanted to be. The place for her to make a name for herself.

And she did it. Despite what her father had told her. And despite what everyone else had said when she told them about her dreams. She knew she had it in her, and she was desperate to proof it. To show them that she could do everything she believed in.

She came on the right time and in the right place in Los Angeles. With the little social skills she had, she had managed to get a job at a recording studio. The boss of that studio was a middle-aged woman who looked after her. She had given Beca a place to stay. And after work hours she let Beca do her thing in the studio. She had instantly recognised her talent. And she gave Beca some advice to improve her work.

A year later that same woman gave Beca her first producing contract. And Beca signed it after a few minor adjustments. She didn't want to give interviews. And she didn't want anyone to know who she really was.

She needed an artist name. And she knew exactly how she wanted to present herself to the world. Finding an artist name was easy. She would be DJ Bella Titanium. Bella in honour of the friends she never forgot. And Titanium after the song that made her do audition for the Bella's.

Even though she didn't contact any of her friends, she knew she would never had gotten so far without them. And if she liked it or not, she was a Bella for live. Once you are a Bella you stayed a Bella.

She thought about her girls frequently. She kept a picture of them in a frame that she took with her everywhere she went. And maybe she was a little stalkerish when she went through their social media. She wasn't present in their lives, but she wanted to know where they were up to. What was going on in their lives.

She laughed when they shared their shenanigans. She was proud when they posted about their milestones. And was sad when they posted about the sad things in their lives. She was happy for them but at the same time sad because she missed out on so many things.

That's why she wanted to let them know that she still cared about them. She wanted to include each and every one of them in her career. She thought about how she was going to pull it off. And when she was nominated for her first award and had won it she knew exactly how to do that.

Because she didn't do interviews, nobody knew who she was. So she sent the invitation for collecting of the award with a speech to Aubrey. And Aubrey had accepted the invitation. She watched on television how her former captain did the job. When she got her second award she had sent the invitation to Ashley. She figured she would sent the invitation in alphabetical order. Especially Lilly's and Fat Amy's performance were hilarious to watch.

After twelve years she won her first Grammy Award. Twelve had been her lucky number. For her the number twelve stood for her Bella's. And after twelve years it was time to get back into their lives.

So she had send them an invitation as a group. And the question of performing her winning song. And naturally the invitation had come with a speech. This time it was a speech for their entire group.

After they gave the speech they performed the song. And during their performance Beca made herself known to the public. She joined them in the song. The Bella's were surprised. They never expected that. But they were professionals and kept singing like it was all planned.

When they finished the song she gave a speech of het own. She thanked her fans. And the woman who believed in her and gave her the chance to do what she loved.

Her ultimate thanks and credits she gave to her Bella's. That day she told the world that she would never made it without the support of her sisters. The strong women who were the red thread in her life. She expressed her love for each and every one of them.

And from that day she stayed in their lives. No matter how hard it got sometimes.


	17. Lilly's story

Accidents sometimes happen. In Lilly's case it happened a lot. It wasn't like she did it on purpose. Well except maybe that one time when she blew up her neighbours car.

She couldn't help it that she loved weapons. Or that she learned at a young age how to blow things up. Or how she could sneak in and out without being noticed.

She always had known she was different. So she learned young that it was better to keep quiet. And when she talked and said the things she said, it was just to let them know she was there. She didn't liked to be ignored. But she didn't want to change either. She wanted to show the world that it was okay to be different.

The Bella's seemed to understand that being different wasn't something that was wrong or bad. From the first moment she joined them they had accepted her for who she was. And that was something new for her. And when she spoke on a normal level they had told her that she didn't need to shout. And there was a truth in that. Because what for Lilly was speaking on a normal tone, was the same as when another person would shout.

Even the Korean club tried to change her. Which she refused. That led to a lot of frustration and arguments. Even to the point where they blamed her for every accident that happened. The latest thing they accused her of was setting their clubhouse on fire.

Now Lilly loved fire. Everyone who knew her knows that. She couldn't help the joy she felt when she saw a fire. She loved the warmth. And the orange and yellow colour of the flames. But she hadn't anything to do with the Korean clubhouse fire. But she also knew that they wouldn't believe her if she told them that. She maybe knew who was responsible for the fire, but she wasn't planning on telling anyone that.

So she did the only thing she could do. She left her beloved Bella's. She needed to get out of the spotlights for some time. But at the same time she wasn't really gone.

She still attended most of the Bella's practices. But she was a master in disguising herself. So nine out of ten times nobody noticed she was there. She even attended all her classes. But nobody could even recall that they had actually seen her. She knew why that was. Most people only saw what they wanted. People nowadays were so self-absorbed. And she was a master in letting people believing in what they wanted to believe. People looked but rarely saw.

She had heard all the wild stories and rumours about herself. And inwardly she laughed about that. She couldn't believe that people really though that she joined some sort of cult. Or that she had gone to Japan to become a samurai. Or even that she was in jail in some foreign country. And at the same time she could believe it.

So she did what she did best. Living her life and doing her things hidden away from all the chaos that Barden was. Far away and yet in plain sight for everyone who took the time to really see what was going around in the world.

She didn't mind living in a world where she was alone for the majority of the time. But she truly missed the madness that the Bella's house was. She missed the movie nights. She missed the performances. But she watched every single one of their performances from the audience.

She knew she couldn't stay hidden for the rest of her life. And at some point she needed to get back. So she waited patiently for the right time. And she had found the perfect time. It was after one of their performances when she thought it was about to let her presence known. It was an performance that actually had going well. So shortly before the end she had sneaked to their dressing room.

When they entered she congratulated them like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like she hadn't been gone for a long time.

They hugged her and since that day she performed alongside her Bella's. Nothing had really changed but at the same time everything had changed.


	18. Emily's story

Emily Junk had always been tall for her age. She was very pretty but clumsy. That made her very insecure. And the Bella's never missed a mom to point that out to her.

She didn't feel like a Bella at all. They just saw her as a legacy. The golden child of a capella. As a child of Katherine Junk she must have been perfect. But she wasn't. She wasn't her mother. She was her own person. Someone who made mistakes and messed up.

She had tried to talk about it with her mom. Her mom didn't seem to understand what she meant. Her mother thought she just needed to get used to college life.

She had tried to talk to Beca about it, but her captain had barely time for her. Actually, when she tought about it, nobody had time for her. She was thrown into a world without any preparation. Nobody took the time to explain her how things worked.

They only seemed to notice her when she made a mistake. Or when things got wrong. She didn't have to be there to be blamed. Especially Fat Amy was good in pointing a finger at her. And since Chloe was so obsessed with winning the World's, things didn't get exactly better for her. She felt extremely lonely.

These were the things she thought about right now. She lay on a bed in a worn down hotel room in Sunshine Village. She couldn't help but to laugh about the irony of the towns name. She didn't have much sunshine in her life right now.

She spent the first days walking around the town. She want to get to know the town she had ended up in. The people were nice but minded their own business. Which was nice for a change.

Being the only child of wealthy parents meant that she didn't need to worry about money. The hotel she was staying at was great, but she wanted something for herself. So she rented a room. She paid for three months. She didn't know how long she would stay, she only knew she wouldn't go back anytime soon.

During the day she kept herself busy. She could spend hours in the park. Writing songs under a big oak tree. She had brought her study books and tried to spend some time to study. For the first time in her life she felt independent. And that was exactly what she needed. She needed to learn to stand on her own two feet. If she wanted to learn to stand up for herself she needed to be alone for a while.

The loneliness came at night. When she sat on her bed. The framed picture of the Bella's on her nightstand. When she looked at the picture she missed them so much. Even if they picked on her, the Bella's house was never quiet. There was always someone she could talk to. And there was always going on something in the house. Sometimes a mini meltdown from one of the girls. Lord knows she herself had a few meltdowns.

She sighed as she tried to concentrate on the song she was writing. It wasn't a happy song. It was a song full of depression and despair. But she didn't care. She quickly had learned that life wasn't always full of rainbows and sunshines.

She wasn't going to finish her song tonight. She turned on the television and watched a comedy. If you asked her later what movie it was she couldn't tell you. She watched it without seeing it. Her mind occupied with thoughts of home. Thoughts of the girls. Would they miss her? Or was she already replaced by someone else?

With a restless mind and full of unanswered questions she went to sleep. As she already expected she didn't sleep long. She got up and stared out the window. Looking at the moon and the stars. Thinking about what she was going to do next.

She had been spending the past four and a half months alone. For the first time in her life she had to make decisions on her own. She had to handle things alone. Things of which she once thought she couldn't.

She knew it was time for the next step. She now knew who she was and what she was capable of. But it was time to go home. It was time to let everyone see that she wasn't afraid any. That she could stand up for herself when needed. Content with her decision she got back to bed. This time she slept peacefully.

The next day she woke up past noon. For the first time in weeks she had slept more than eight hours without waking up. She got up to use the bathroom. After she had freshen up she made herself some sandwiches. And then last night's thoughts came back. She knew it was time.

She put the dishes in the kitchen and walked to the bedroom. She grabbed her bag and walked back to the kitchen table. She sat down and hesitated for a moment. She grabbed her phone and turned it on.

Apparently she was been missed. Her phone started to buzz. To her amazement she had more than four hundred missed calls an two hundred unread texts. She scrolled through her texts to find Beca. Without reading the things her captain had sent her, she started to type. The only thing she wanted to was if she still was welcome in the house. The reply came immediately.

Beca had answered that of course she was welcome. That she was still a Bella. Along with ten questions about her whereabouts and how she was doing. She ignored the questions and replied she would be home one of these days. Without waiting for a reply she shut off her phone.

After she had sent the message she stayed for two days. She took the time to say goodbye to the town she had learned to love. It indeed had been a sunshine village. Being in this town on her own had given her a few sunshines for the rest of her life.

For the last time she walked through the rooms that had been her home for the past months. Quietly she said goodbye as she grabbed her bag. She stepped out the house for the last time and closed the front door.

She looked back one last time before catching the bus back to Barden. After six hours of travelling with the bus she was back.

Nervous she walked up to the Bella's house. She wanted to turn back but then the front door opened. A very excited Chloe waved at her.

"Legacy, you're back" Chloe screamed.

At Chloe's excited screams the rest of the girls came out of the house. Before she knew it she ended up in a grouphug.

She was finally home. And for the first time she felt like a Bella.


	19. Cynthia Rose's story

Cynthia Rose Adams was disappointed in herself. Disappointed was an understatement. She was angry with herself. She couldn't believe that she had let things gotten so far out of hands that she was forced to leave in secret.

When she confessed that she had a gambling problem two years ago, she had tried to control it. She had talked about it with her girls. She went to the anonymous gamblers. It had helped her for some time. But the temptation was too big for her. After a year and a half she had picked up her old habits.

Which brought her to the situation she was currently in. Her gambling problem had sent her in deep shit. She had lost a bet one time to many. And now she had debts she couldn't pay off.

Ashamed of telling the girls, she had made a deal with the people she owned money to. She would sent off to do any type of work that they want her to do to pay off her debts. The other option was that they would hurt her friends. And that was something she absolutely didn't want. The girls were her everything.

So here she was. Secretly packing her stuff. Leaving behind the only home she had ever known. Tonight when everyone was asleep she would go. She used her last day in the house to enjoy herself. She memorised every detail of every girl. She didn't know when she would see them again. If she saw them ever again.

That night she made sure to be the last one to go to bed. She looked one last time at her sleeping ex girlfriend and roommate Denise before grabbing her bag. She made sure that nobody saw or heard her when she walked to the kitchen. She left her key on the kitchen counter and left.

She would meet the people she owned money at a bar outside campus. From there they would travel to another state. They had took her passport to book a flight and to prevent her to run away.

Cynthia Rose was nervous when she entered the bar. She wasn't twenty-one yet. And she didn't have her id card, but they let her in anyway. She spotted them at the bar and walked up to them.

She didn't know them very well and she hoped they would treat her nice. Until now they had been very nice to her, but you never knew if that would change. She did need more trouble on top of all the trouble she already had.

They greeted her if they were old friends and asked her what she wanted to drink. She decided it was better to stay sober so she ordered just a coke. They were talking as they finished their drinks.

When they were at the airport she got her passport back. After they checked in and boarded the plane, Cynthia Rose relaxed for the first time that night. She was tired and as soon they were in the air she fell asleep.

They had brought her to a house. She would later find out it was their home. They gave her a room with an ensuite bathroom. The first week she didn't have to work for them. They showed her the neighbourhood and enrolled her in an anonymous gambling program. She had to attend the program three days a week.

Working for them wasn't that bad. They had a few casinos and restaurants. She had to work at one of their top restaurants as hostess. And she actually liked it. She found out she had a knack for solving problems the guests encountered.

But how much she liked her new life, she missed the Bella's. The first year away from them was the hardest. She was busy with work and her anonymous gambling meetings, but at night she felt lonely. She missed the movie nights with the girls and the singing and performances.

The second year she went to an tattoo artist, and had all of their names tattooed on her left arm. That way her girls were always with her. But it wasn't the same as when they were actually there with her. She followed their social media but didn't dare to seek contact with any of them.

When she learned that Denise died she was shocked. She couldn't work for two months. The fact that she couldn't say goodbye or attend her funeral broke her. But she was happy to see that the rest of the Bella's had lay her to rest.

After four years she had paid of her debts to them. She was free to go but she didn't know were to go. She didn't have any money. The people she worked for recognised her talent and wanted to help her create a future for her.

She worked her as of for the next two and a half years. Now she had her own restaurant. She was very successful and enjoyed being independent and free. After all the mistakes she made in her past, she finally made something of her life.

It wasn't enough for her. She wanted to celebrate her success with her Bella's. She rented a house and decorated it. Then she made mysterious invitations for a party and sent them to each Bella. She knew the girls couldn't resist mysterious invitations. And as she expected each and every one accepted the invitation.

The day of the party she hid in the house. From her hiding spot she observed them. They all seemed to have a good time. They were talking and laughing. When the party was in full swing she decided it was time to make her presence known. She walked down the stairs to the party. The music stopped and this was the time to say hello.

"Hey Pitches what's up?" she said.

They never expected that she was behind all of this. And they were surprised. The looks on their were priceless. And before she knew it she ended up in a group hug.

She was finally home after all those years. And the happen faces of the girls was something she would never forget in her life.


	20. Fat Amy's story

A daughter who disappointed her father. A girl who disappointed her sisters. That's how Fat Amy felt about herself.

Growing up in a household were her father had chosen to be a criminal for a profession wasn't easy. They had money and she always had gotten anything she wanted. But there was a price that had to be paid for it.

Fat Amy had always been outspoken. Somehow she was designed to stick out wherever she was. Her father had always encouraged her to be who she was.

As she got older she started to notice what her fathers profession meant. What pain it caused. Not only for her but for everyone who fell victim to her father.

That's why she left her home and country at eighteen years old. She changed her name. But she couldn't change her personality. And that was something she didn't want to. Despite everything she loved how she was.

She had came to Barden and was accepted as a Bella. But more importantly she was accepted for who she was with quirks and all.

Unfortunately it was her personality that had led the men to her. It was her personality that brought her deeper in problems then she already was.

Her father had promised the men he would get them drugs and weapons. They had paid him a lot of money in advance. But being the criminal he was, he had taken the money and fled.

Somehow they had found her. And since she was her father's daughter, they figured that a Hobart was a Hobart. She made them clear that she hated her father as much as they did. And with her big mouth she had convinced them that she could get them were they had paid for.

In reality she hadn't had a clue where her father was or how she would get what they wanted. She had said it to buy some extra time. And because she didn't wanted them around her friends.

When her initial plan failed, they had threatened to hurt her friends. She couldn't let that happen. So she willingly agreed to travel to some foreign country and do whatever they wanted from her. She would promise everything to protect her friends. As far as she considered they were now her only family.

The men had arranged a flight for her. She was convinced she could handle everything they asked her. So she packed her bags and left the Bellas house behind, sure she would be back in three days.

She had been wrong. From the moment she was picked up from the airport, things didn't go as she had expected. She had tried to act funny to keep things light. But they made it clear that they didn't appreciate that.

She was escorted to a house in the middle of nowhere. They had taken away her phone and locked her in a room. From that moment she knew this was to much for her. If they wanted to do something to her there wouldn't be anyone around to help her. And for the first time in her life she felt small and helpless.

They had given her a day to rest before they explained what they expected from her. Apparently there was a nearby gang who had weapons they wanted. And she Fat Amy had to steal them. She was trained in martial arts and wrestling since she was young, so she knew she would fail completing that task.

Fat Amy being Fat Amy didn't show them she wasn't capable of it. She knew she would die on the spot if she would say it was impossible. So she put on her brave face and convinced them she could do it. But she could feel the panic grow inside herself.

She prepared herself for the task. And maybe she could pull it off. When the day had come she was going to do what she had to do.

To her surprise things were going smoothly. Like a miracle she had found her way in without being noticed. She had found the room the weapons were in without problems. She almost succeeded until she saw the weapons were locked in a vault. Now Fat Amy had many skills. But break into a vault wasn't one of them. That moment she saw the vault she knew she would fail. She wished Lilly was with her. She was convinced that the Asian girl could've done it.

After her failed attempt they had locked her back in the room. They punished her by beating her. They would starve her for days. She started to lose hope that she would ever get out of that room. She lost all hope to see her Bellas ever again.

Then there was a new leader. He treated her better. The beatings had stopped. She got food again three times a day. He would visit her and talk to her. He treated her like a human and he seemed to like her. But she wasn't helpful and he couldn't use her.

When masked men came into her room in the middle of the night, she thought they were going to kill her. Her will to survive took over and tried to fight them. But they were stronger. The last thing she felt was a stinging pain and then everything went black.

The next thing she saw when she opened her eyes were the concerned looks of her Bella sisters.


End file.
